Confessions
by Schierach
Summary: Aika gets caught reading Vyse's journal, and both friends admit their true feelings for one another, resulting in... a wrestling match? Complete. Very mild language slightly suggestive.


Author's Note: This is short and cheesy and just plain WEIRD. Actually, it's mostly taken from the character journals my friend and I write, as well as a role-playing session. (I'm Aika, she's Vyse.) We had a lot of fun with this, and I've wanted to type it up as a story for a long time... I just never got around to it. I'm very pro-Vyse/Aika, as you'll see here. Also, Vyse's journal entry (and almost all of his dialogue) was written by Beth (also know as Annie Felis). I wouldn't dream of posting this without crediting her! Please visit her site: http://anniefelis.sapphirewired.com.

**Confessions**

Vyse really needed to do a better job of hiding his journal, Aika decided. She sighed as she kept a firm grip on the book, the current page stained with blotches of ink. Vyse must have been nervous when he wrote that entry. It was very recent, she noted, skimming it over once more. Written earlier that morning. 

It was a hot, sultry Thursday afternoon, which meant, of course, that there was nothing to do whatsoever on Crescent Isle. Vyse had gone out earlier, so his room was empty. As usual, he'd left it unlocked. Aika had lent him a book some weeks earlier, and decided to retrieve it while he was gone. 

Big mistake. She did, indeed, find her book, but she also spotted an open notebook filled with Vyse's distinctive handwriting nearby. She did't _mean_ to read his journal, really. But it was there. So... _tempting_.

The book was still open to the same entry as she sat on the floor, clutching it in her sweaty palms. She re-read the page yet again, trying to absorb what Vyse was saying.

_ Thursday, October 1st_

You ever feel hopeless? Well... hopeless, helpless and confused? That's how I feel right now. It's about something that's been hovering right behind my shoulder for almost a year now...since about partway through that quest we went on to pick up the six moon crystals. Since Fina became our friend. Let me explain.

First off, I would like to say that I'm not a stupid man. I may seem a bit dumb at times...but it's all an act. I've almost perfected playing dumb to an art... and although I hate doing it, I continue to carry out that practice.

Why? Because of my two friends. And what they mean to me.

Shut up. Let me continue, it's not what you think.

For over ten years now, Aika has been my best friend. She's been my neighbor as long as I can remember, and has been my best friend for almost as long. When we were kids, I defended her when this snake thing attacked us. That's how I got the scar on my left cheek. And that's how I gained a certain...admiration from Aika.

I know, admiration is a kind word for it, but that's how I'll describe it. Things would get somewhat messy if you got...involved in a certain way with your friends. Which is why I play dumb...

...I know how both Fina thinks, and how Aika thinks. I know how they're good friends, and hate to compete... and yet, would feel jealous and may even break up their friendship with one another if one of them got... well, a certain blue rogue captain. That seriously bothers me. 

I can't choose either. Both of them are really important to me, both in their own way, and I wouldn't want to hurt one by choosing another. I don't want to lose a friend to gain something else...and while it may make the three of us unhappy in some instances, we're happy in the short-run. I know eventually things are going to come to a head....but for now, I'll continue to play the dumb guy, to ignore their little passes and flirtations, and hope that they don't catch onto me.

Because I really, really would hate to have to love one alone, when I do that already for both.

Aika didn't think it was strange for Vyse to be writing about Fina and herself, but she was more than mildly surprised at why he was writing about them. Vyse knew... Vyse knew that Aika was in love with him. At least, she _thought_ she was in love with him. She'd felt this way for what seemed like forever. They grew up together, and she'd always knew her feelings would lean this way, eventually. But it was plain to see that Vyse didn't want to harm her friendship with Fina. In all honesty, neither did she. She thought this quite noble of the young captain. Perhaps she should be more selfless...

She bit her lip as she turned the possibilities over in her head. She didn't want Vyse to be alone forever. No... she would let Fina have him. Fina was much prettier and sweeter than Aika was. Vyse would be happier with Fina than he would with a redheaded tomboy...

"Aika...? What are you doing in my quarters?" Aika snapped her head up at the sound of her name, the all-too-familiar voice catching in her ears. Vyse stood in the doorway, and inwardly groaned as he caught sight of the journal in Aika's hands.

Her face turned a deeper shade of red than her flaming hair. "Oh, er... hi, Vyse..."

Vyse stood perfectly still, resisting the urges both to run and to approach his friend. "... you're all red." _... she's all red. I bet she read that stupid thing._ "... I'm afraid to ask why you're all red, though." _Yeah, I'm probably red in the face, too... ugh, I can feel my ears starting to get warm._ "You, uh... didn't see anything... weird, did you?" _Weird? Try "embarrassing and stupid," Vyse!_

Aika held the journal up with one hand. "You mean this?" _His ears are all pink... how cute._

"Um... yeah, that," Vyse replied, realizing that his face must be completely scarlet by now. He looked completely defeated. "Er, look, Aika... I can explain, if you need me to. Because I know you already read it." _You just dug your own grave, Vysey-Boy... now you have to face the executioner, and there's no way to tell how she's going to react. I can't believe I wrote that down... now I'm in for it... though... she's blushing. That may be a good sign._

Aika shrugged, rose to her feet, and set the journal down on Vyse's desk. "Nice that you wrote about me. I'm flattered." She flashed him a genuine smile, though it wasn't nearly as wide as her usual grin.

Vyse scratched the back of his neck. "Oh. Well, yeah..."

"But..."

"But?"

"I think... I think you should just go with Fina, okay?"

Vyse was stunned. His brain buzzed as he searched for the right words. _Maybe she didn't read the whole thing... maybe she didn't read the last sentence...?_ "Aika... look, this isn't turning out the way I'd planned."

"You can't love two people, Vyse."

He crossed his arms and looked out the window to avoid her unusually cold gaze. "And why not? It's complex, but I'm not a simple guy."

"Because of something called jealousy, Vyse. You need to pick one. Pick Fina."

"... but what about you? I'd be ditching you. I can't do that, Aika."

Aika shrugged and stared at her large boots. "I had my day in the sun. I had ten years as your best friend. That's more than she got. Besides, she's prettier, she's sweeter, blah, blah, blah. You wouldn't be happy with a loud-mouthed tomboy like me."

Vyse turned his gaze back to Aika. "What gave you that impression? If I wasn't happy, I would have stayed your friend - your best friend - all these years."

"But you were always just my friend. That proves it all," Aika replied, trying desperately to come up with a defense. As much as she wanted him to choose her, she just couldn't be that selfish. She had to push him towards Fina.

"Maybe that's because we were kids, Aika."

"But we're not kids anymore."

"Definitely not. Heh... don't think I haven't noticed you've grown up!" Vyse assured her, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"... really?" Aika's face had cooled, but she quickly began to blush again.

"Well, yeah. You've grown up to be a very beautiful woman, Aika. Though I've... never said so..."

"Yeah, well... you didn't turn out so bad, yourself!"

Vyse laughed as he remembered something and pointed to the scar beneath his left eye. "Remember this? That day... wow, it had to be about nine years ago, now..."

"Oh, yeah... the snake..." Aika said softly. She smiled fondly as she remembered what had happened that day.

"Yeah. And remember what I said I'd do? I do. I said, 'Aika, I'll always protect you. I'll always be right there for you, no matter what.' I meant it, and I still do. If something ever happened to you... Aika, I'd literally go insane."

"Oh, Vyse..."

"You were always my backup, you always gave me the little push I needed... you were always there when I went through all sorts of horrible things, and nobody else can ever, ever do that for me."

"Not even Fina?" Aika ventured.

Vyse grinned and shook his head. "No, not even Fina." Aika turned beet red one more, and Vyse laughed. "I don't know who's more embarrassed, you or me!"

"I say we call it even."

"Heh, yeah, even..."

"It... really is too bad that you can't pick one. I know that you'd hurt Fina terribly if you picked me..."

"I know... which is why I'm choosing nobody," Vyse said, his voice growing quiet. "Every time I think about it, I get this feeling, right here, pressing down." He thumped his chest. "I don't like it, but I don't like the alternative. That's why I feel so helpless at times."

"Well... there really isn't anything you can do about that, I guess..."

Vyse had no response to that, so he promptly averted his gaze to the floor. Aika resumed staring at her boots, and a rather uncomfortable silence fell upon them. 

"Should we... pretend this never happened?" Aika asked, sighing very softly.

Vyse glanced up at her. "... at least for Fina's sake."

"Yeah... yeah, okay."

"I know if we told her all we said here, she'd probably cry. And nobody likes to see her cry."

"Right..."

Vyse looked away again and bit his lower lip, something he often saw Aika do, and had picked up over the years. _I can't say anything, because I don't know what to say. I can't do anything, because I don't know what to do. Damn, Aika, I hope you have ideas, because right now..._

"I... maybe I should go, Vyse." Aika started towards the doorway, nearly shuffling.

"No! Stay here a bit. Talk to me or... something." Vyse grabbed her forearm before she could pass him.

"Uh... o-okay..."

"You know, I've never asked you before... and I know you've given goofy answers, and I know that ain't it... but, what's your big dream? You know mine... I accomplished it... but what's yours?"

"Heh... well, it's not anything I'm going to accomplish," she answered, giving Vyse a wan smile.

Vyse stood in the cocky pose he always assumed, giving her a lopsided grin. "Why not? Come on, you can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. I know you too well, Aika. What is it? Wanna take over the world? Whatever it is, let me help you... after all, you helped me accomplish my greatest dream."

"I..." Aika slunk into the chair in front of Vyse's desk. "My only dream was... to be with you. I never wanted to be the captain of my own fleet, or to be a great pirate... I was always happy working alongside you."

"Even after all we've said here, I didn't think it'd be... that," Vyse admitted. "I thought you'd want something better than... well, me."

"That's all I want, really. Something I can never have..." Her face went pale instead of rosy this time.

"I don't know if that's true or not. But... sometimes it nevers hurts to try and keep up hope. Um. Right?"

"Yeah, right," Aika replied dryly.

Vyse crossed his arms, then pointed to the floor right next to where he stood, across the room from Aika. "That's it. Come here." Aika hesitated, but recognized the expression on his face, the one that said _I'm the captain and I'm in charge_. After that, she quickly obeyed, only to be hugged tightly by her friend - quite uncharacteristic for Captain Vyse. 

"You know, Aika, you're as big an idiot as I am sometimes," Vyse laughed. Aika laughed in reply and gave a sigh of relief.

"I know," she grinned.

"Sometimes I think idiot behavior is contagious."

"It's like the flu, Vyse."

Vyse wrinkled his nose and looked down at her. "The flu? But the flu is unpleasant, and lasts a week. Idiot behavior is unpleasant for a few minutes, and then it goes away."

"Yeah, but sometimes it can have scarring consequences."

"... sometimes. But sometimes not."

"... yeah... Vyse?"

"Yes?"

"You do realize that you've been hugging me for over a full minute now, right?"

"... er, yes? And?"

"Just checking."

"What else did you think I was grinning like an idiot for?"

"Oh, I don't know," Aika teased.

"Did you want me to stop?"

"NO! I mean... only if you want to."

"Er... I don't want to."

"Okay. Me neither." Aika's familiar grin spread across her face.

Vyse started to undo one of Aika's flaming orange braids, chuckling. "Muahaha. And I don't have braids, so ha, ha, ha!"

"No, but you have this!" Aika immediately claimed his Skyseer patch. 

"Hey...!"

"A braid for an eyepatch, I say!"

"Well, then..." Vyse speedily unclasped her tiki-head necklace and held it out of her reach. "Now I have the upper hand! Nya, nya..."

"Hmm..." Aika swiped his red scarf and cast behind her, letting it fall to the floor. "Bwahaha!"

"Aw, damn, I'm running out of things to take... aha!" He stole the ribbon from her other braid. "And the final score is Vyse: three, Aika: loooooooser!"

"..." Aika was silent, then unhooked his belt and discarded it.

Vyse frowned. "Damn. Well, at least I can take your belt, too!" And he did so, tossing the wide blue belt over his shoulder.

Aika sighed. "You can't wiiiiiiin!" she said in a sing-song voice, as she dexterously unbuttoned his jacked and snagged it.

"Ha! You can't take anything else from me, because it'd take you-" He stopped suddenly as an idea dawned on him. Tackling Aika, he pulled her left boot off and cast it aside.

"Hey!" Aika wiggled her toes and tickled Vyse's stomach with them, then jumped up and pinned him down, wrestling his black shirt off. "Mine, mine, miiiine!"

Vyse shook her off, stood, and growled, though it was ineffective, due to the grin that had spread across his face. Tackling Aika again, he stole her other boot.

"Oh, you fight dirty!" Aika laughed, pinning him once again and stealing HIS boot. Vyse had run out of things to take from her. "Hmm, you lose."

"Yeah," Vyse admitted, dropping Aika's boot on the floor beside him. "Unless..." He smiled, tackled her again, and began to tickle her mercilessly.

Aika giggled and writhed on the floor, struggling in vain to escape. "Stop, that's not fair!"

"Well, I'm certainly not going to steal your dress!" Vyse replied with a chuckle, as he continued tickling her. He hadn't wrestled with Aika since they were kids. A glint of light from somewhere inside her hair caught his eye, and as he looked closer, he saw that it was the sunlight reflecting off the lenses of her goggles, which he promptly stole.

"Aw, Vysie, not my goggles!"

Vyse stood again, keeping the out of her reach. "Vysie?"

"Sorry, I slipped. Thought we were nine agai-" She burst out laughing as Vyse put her goggles on himself and paraded around the room.

"Yeah, I felt like a kid again, too," he laughed.

"Funny, huh? We were just talking about how much we've grown up, and now... this."

"Yeah..." Vyse paused, the clasped Aika's tiki-head necklace around his neck. "All I need now is a boomerang! Nobody would know it's me." 

Aika reached for her boomerang and tossed it to him. "Well, and a dress, but I'm not about to give you that."

Vyse caught the boomerang, then blinked several times in succession. "Me? In a dress?"

"Hey, everyone experiments. We could do your hair in little braids!" Aika grinned.

Vyse took a step backwards and dropped the boomerang, which clattered quite soundly as it hit the floor. "Don't touch my hair. And don't even THINK of putting a dress on me."

"I won't, sheesh."

"Oh. Okay, then!" He resumed tackling her.

"Oof! Hey, watch what you're grabbing!"

Vyse jumped up again, beet red. "Ack! Sorry sorry sorry!" He handed her goggles back to her.

"It's okay, it was an accident," Aika replied, pulling her goggles onto her head. "Don't flip out."

"Heh, I still think I've won," said Vyse. "I'm wearing your necklace, plus, your hair is all down." He put his hands behind his head, leaning against the wall. "Vyse the Legend is once again victorious. Let the peasants rejoice."

"Nah, I won. I got you half naked."

Vyse blinked and looked down at himself. She was right, he was wearing only her necklace, his pants, and one boot. "... oh."

Aika smiled and pulled herself to her feet. "Come on, get dressed... Fina's probably wondering where we both are." She tugged roughly on her boots to get them back on her feet, grabbed her boomerang, and left, leaving her hair as it was.

Vyse sighed, glad that Aika was, apparently, feeling better about the whole situation. He pulled his other boot on, as well as his shirt, leaving the rest of his clothing on the floor. This was all he needed for now.

He realized that he was still wearing Aika's necklace beneath his shirt; the smooth wood rested comfortably against his skin. He would keep it on for now, he decided, and give it back to her later. He was much less confused now than he was when he had come in.

If it could be done without hurting Fina... he would choose Aika.


End file.
